Single European Sky: Commission proposes a
Community licence for air traffic controllers

The Commission adopted a proposal for introducing a Community licence
for air traffic controllers. The decision forms part of the implementing rules
of the Single European Sky and will contribute to safety and the cross-border
provision of air navigation services. “The proposal for a Communitylicence for air traffic controllers confirms the Commission’s
intention to enhance the regulatory framework for the air traffic management
industry, which should be in place before the end of 2004, with an initiative on
the working conditions in this sector. It also demonstrates the balanced
approach of the Single European Sky package to cover social aspects.”
stated Loyola de Palacio, Vice-President in charge of energy and
transport.

The adoption of the Single European Sky legislation earlier this year
triggered off a range of implementing regulations. Furthermore, this legislation
paved the way to the development of a specific proposal for a Community licence
for air traffic controllers in order to ensure common qualification levels. It
will enable the necessary harmonisation of the current patchwork of national
licensing schemes that the existing international standards developed in the
framework of ICAO and Eurocontrol have not adequately addressed up to now.
Nonetheless the proposal builds on material developed by Eurocontrol and is
fully consistent with it, in order to facilitate its integration into national
law.

The new Community license aims at harmonising the licensing systems for
controllers and promoting the mutual recognition of national licences. This is
an important social aspect of the Single European Sky. The proposal will equally
reinforce safety levels of air traffic management by introducing common
standards for the European training system. Finally a more flexible use of
manpower is likely to facilitate the organisation of cross-border service
provision and the establishment of functional airspace blocks.

Every link of the licensing chain is regulated: the institutional framework;
the conditions for access to the profession; the structure of competences to
ensure transparency and comparability; training standards appropriate to the
complex and dense European air traffic environment, including linguistic and
medical requirements.